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That was the most terrifying experience of his existence. During 2016, Gerry Pendon was just five meters away from a bomb explosion at the night market in Roxas in Davao City. The IS strike left 15 dead, among them his brother-in-law. A prolonged siege between the military and the jihadist group in Marawi came after.

“It will not take place again in Davao,” Pendon states.

Nearly a decade later, the shadow of IS again looms over one of the country's major cities, amidst worldwide focus over the four-week stay in the city of the suspected Bondi suspects, Sajid Akram and his son Naveed.

Pendon, who works as a masseur at the night market, heard about Bondi on the news, but like other citizens surveyed, felt predominantly detached.

Even the 2016 attack is a traumatic event he is attempting to put behind him. A monument for the 2016 deaths sits in a section of the night market, appearing incongruous amid the joyful mood as crowds came there for meals, massages and trinkets.

Current Investigations Amid Festive Preparations

Probes regarding the time in the Philippines of the pair is happening while the mostly Catholic country is preparing for Christmas. Davao’s municipal hall has been lit up by a tall Christmas tree, malls are packed, and children knock on doors to perform Christmas songs.

“I was taken aback to see [the Akrams] in the news. But they were here for sightseeing, not extremism,” says Emelyn Lorenzo, also a massage therapist at the market. Authorities have made clear the investigation into their actions is active and the exact reason for their visit is remains unclear.

“It is a shame that valid issues are co-opted by radicalism. Sadly, the reputation of brutal violence was wrongly attached to the region's character,” stated Karlos Manlupig, head of advocacy group Balay Mindanao.

Confidence in Safety Record

Lorenzo is additionally certain that no one could carry out another terrorist strike in the city long governed by the clan of ex-president Rodrigo Duterte, whose reputation – both famous and infamous – was established by aggressively securitising Davao through strict anti-crime and anti-drug policies. At one entrance of the night market, at minimum four personnel stand checking bags.

The Philippine government has denied suggestions that it was a base for militant training for the suspected Bondi shooters. The country has a complicated background of unrest and marginalisation that has seen some Islamic independence movements form alliances with international jihadist groups. But while IS-linked groups still exist, authorities say they are small and degraded.

Police Trace Whereabouts

What is evident, commented Eduardo Año, the Philippines’ national security adviser, is the two did not leave the city nor underwent weapons training in the country, as was earlier claimed.

Law enforcement have said they are “treating with gravity” the duo's presence in the country as they piece together the actions of the pair during their four-week stay in Davao City.

Police say there are many locations the two could have visited or had meetings in the vicinity. Scores of outlets sit between the their accommodation and a close by restaurant, where they were known to buy their food.

Officers are reviewing CCTV footage and following taxi trips to establish their whereabouts, and that every scenario are being entertained.

Worries in Marawi City Over Labels

In Marawi, the site of a major conflict with Islamic State affiliates in 2017, locals are concerned that fresh associations with terrorism could lead to tighter restrictions and increase bias against Muslims.

Tirmizy Abdullah, a faculty member at the institution in Marawi City, said the Philippine investigative bodies must determine what happened.

“[The Akrams’] visit should be carefully probed and the information should provide clear and truthful answers without turning uncertainty into blame against Mindanao or its people,” Andullah said.

Manlupig praised civic actions in improving the safety conditions in Davao City but he said “this doesn’t mean that extremism simply disappeared”. He said the country must address economic and social issues and political factors that drive the impulses behind the conflict while “persist in promoting acceptance and steer clear of discrimination and sectarianism”.